@TudyBOT
Today I found one of my hens unable to use her leg. Her name is Ebbie, and she is a 7 year old buff orpington. When I let the chickens out to free range I found her sitting in the run unable to walk, or at least not very well. I brought her in and looked her over; no wounds, no apperant swelling, etc. She was also moving her toes at least a little bit so I figured it wasn't a fracture. I washed her feet off and found some kind callous, almost as if it was bumblefoot, except there was no real scab, redness, or swelling. It was also a blue-ish color, like a bruise.
I wasn't sure if this was bumblefoot, but I assumed it was the culpret of her issue so I decided to wrap her foot up for now and develop a game plan. When I was done, I wanted to watch her walk, and I realized that her foot isn't the issue...at least I don't think. It's like she can't get her foot to where it needs to be for her to walk, so she's just hobbling on the hock of that leg. I felt her hock and I tried to feel around her knee joint and that general area, comparing it to the other leg, and I didn't feel anything different, nor did I feel any swelling. She is also broody, so I couldn't gauge for any warm spots either since all of her is warm underneath.
I noticed it seemed like some of her abdomen was hanging down lower than usual. I felt that specific area and it was soft, and at some point I felt her whole abdomen, which was overall a normal size. Another note; she has a pretty poopy butt, and from examining her it seems as though she has some orangish bugs on her, as well as an odd and hard buildup at the base of her feathers in her butt region. I'm not sure what this insect is, but it is also on my agenda to take of... I don't think it is related but I figure I'd mention it anyways just in case. No flystrike.
This week I have been at college, so my dad has been taking care of them. He said that yesterday after work when he let them out he thinks she was in the coop on the nest box, being broody. This makes sense, as she has been gearing up for broodiness for a couple weeks now-- but whether she was in the boxes because of being broody or because she hurt herself, I don't know. At night he had moved her to the roost bars, but he hadn't noticed anything wrong with her-- I would think she would fall off the bar if she had an issue then. Today, they had been locked up until a couple hours ago when I found her. My best guess is she jumped off the roost bars and hurt herself. They are a couple feet off the ground, but she's an older gal so it's easier for her to hurt herself. Basically, she has been like this for no more than 2 days.
Other than this she is bright and alert, though obviously in pain and a bit distressed. I currently have her in a dog crate to keep her from moving too much. My plan from here is to keep her there and hope that she heals up from rest. I will probably take her bandages off, but I'm letting her be for now. What could this be? How should I go about treating her?
Today I found one of my hens unable to use her leg. Her name is Ebbie, and she is a 7 year old buff orpington. When I let the chickens out to free range I found her sitting in the run unable to walk, or at least not very well. I brought her in and looked her over; no wounds, no apperant swelling, etc. She was also moving her toes at least a little bit so I figured it wasn't a fracture. I washed her feet off and found some kind callous, almost as if it was bumblefoot, except there was no real scab, redness, or swelling. It was also a blue-ish color, like a bruise.
I wasn't sure if this was bumblefoot, but I assumed it was the culpret of her issue so I decided to wrap her foot up for now and develop a game plan. When I was done, I wanted to watch her walk, and I realized that her foot isn't the issue...at least I don't think. It's like she can't get her foot to where it needs to be for her to walk, so she's just hobbling on the hock of that leg. I felt her hock and I tried to feel around her knee joint and that general area, comparing it to the other leg, and I didn't feel anything different, nor did I feel any swelling. She is also broody, so I couldn't gauge for any warm spots either since all of her is warm underneath.
I noticed it seemed like some of her abdomen was hanging down lower than usual. I felt that specific area and it was soft, and at some point I felt her whole abdomen, which was overall a normal size. Another note; she has a pretty poopy butt, and from examining her it seems as though she has some orangish bugs on her, as well as an odd and hard buildup at the base of her feathers in her butt region. I'm not sure what this insect is, but it is also on my agenda to take of... I don't think it is related but I figure I'd mention it anyways just in case. No flystrike.
This week I have been at college, so my dad has been taking care of them. He said that yesterday after work when he let them out he thinks she was in the coop on the nest box, being broody. This makes sense, as she has been gearing up for broodiness for a couple weeks now-- but whether she was in the boxes because of being broody or because she hurt herself, I don't know. At night he had moved her to the roost bars, but he hadn't noticed anything wrong with her-- I would think she would fall off the bar if she had an issue then. Today, they had been locked up until a couple hours ago when I found her. My best guess is she jumped off the roost bars and hurt herself. They are a couple feet off the ground, but she's an older gal so it's easier for her to hurt herself. Basically, she has been like this for no more than 2 days.
Other than this she is bright and alert, though obviously in pain and a bit distressed. I currently have her in a dog crate to keep her from moving too much. My plan from here is to keep her there and hope that she heals up from rest. I will probably take her bandages off, but I'm letting her be for now. What could this be? How should I go about treating her?
